This invention relates generally to a tubular plasma display and more specifically to an improved tubular seal design that will allow the display to operate over a wider temperature range.
The tubular construction techniques for fabricating AC plasma display panels has been under development for a number of years. The availability of precision glass tubing and the ease of utilizing the tubing has made possible the advent of large display panels.
These display panels function well when operated in a controlled environment. However, when subjected to mechanical shock, vibration and drastic temperature extremes, glass capillary tubes, connected to a common vacuum manifold, tend to fracture and break, thereby allowing atmospheric gases to enter the system and effectively disable the display panel.
Although various types of materials and sealants have been considered and tried, in order to solve the problem, none have thus far proven satisfactory.